The Damp, Dark Jungle (Originally Titled Adultery)

1. Lin Qingxue was the secret girlfriend of top-tier star Lu Qi for five years, and even adopted a child with him. Afraid it would hurt his career, Lu Qi refused to make their relationship public, so as far as the outside world was concerned, Lin Qingxue didn't exist.

One evening, Lin Qingxue was supervising her son as he studied. He refused to listen, making a fuss about wanting his dad, then switched on the TV.

On the screen, Lu Qi was passionately kissing another woman in his arms.

The boy looked at the beautiful woman in Lu Qi's arms, then at the plainly dressed Lin Qingxue.

"Why is Dad holding another woman?"

Lin Qingxue snapped out of her shock, still unsure how to explain, when her son said excitedly, "I get it! She's Dad's real wife!"

"I want her to be my mom!"

*

Lin Qingxue called Lu Qi. He took a long time to answer.

"It's just work. Don't read too much into it." Lu Qi sounded distracted and casual. "If that's all, I'm hanging up."

He hung up quickly, so he didn't hear Lin Qingxue's next words: "Let's break up."

That night, the wind and snow howled. Lin Qingxue left everything behind and disappeared without a word.

Not long after, the marriage of Xie Xioming, the eldest son of the Xie family, sent shockwaves through the capital. He had married his own adopted sister.

2. After Lin Qingxue disappeared, Lu Qi went to the Xie family with red-rimmed eyes and saw his girlfriend in another man's arms.

"Sorry." Xie Xioming calmly tucked the blanket more tightly around Lin Qingxue, covering the suggestive red marks on her neck, then spoke without a trace of sincerity:

"I was busy taking care of my wife just now. I didn't hear your call."

3. The most rebellious thing Lin Qingxue ever did was propose to Xie Xioming, the man who had once been like an older brother to her.

"You need a shield, and I don't want to be married off to someone else."

Beneath a skyscraper, Lin Qingxue pretended to be composed as she clutched the suit sleeve of the heir to one of the most powerful families.

"We couldn't be a better match."

Xie Xioming said nothing. His stunning face was obscured by shadow. Seeing her fingertips tremble, his cool, dark phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

Lin Qingxue felt uncertain. "If you don't want to..."

"Did you bring your ID?" Xie Xioming asked with a faint smile.

Lin Qingxue gave him a confused nod.

"Let's go." Xie Xioming took her cold fingers in his hand, his tone teasing. "Come get a marriage license with your big brother."

Later, Lin Qingxue found Xie Xioming's old school notebooks in the storage room.

The pages were filled with her name, written so forcefully that the paper had torn.

She thought they were simply using each other.

She never imagined that these were all the love he couldn't bring himself to confess.

Theme: He schemes and struggles through everything just for one smile from you.